Thicker than Water
by NorthernOutcast
Summary: Munkustrap knows that Demeter and some of the other Jellicles are fed up with Tugger's behavior, however, the tabby can't find it in himself to do anything about it.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this bit of fanfiction nor do I receive any sort of monetary value from writing this. Cats belongs to both the wonderful T.S. Eliot and the amazing Andrew Lloyd Webber in conjunction with the Really Useful Group.

A/N: _What's up you ferocious felines? Northern-Outcast here with another Cats fanwork! However, wait for it, this one isn't about Tugger and Mistoffelees! At least not directly about them. At least not their relationship, or Mistoffelees._

_And finally one that has a proper summary instead of a deceptive line from the story!_

_Enjoy the show!_

* * *

"He's a menace to the junkyard!"

"I wouldn't exactly call him a menace..."

"Then how would you describe him?"

"I don't know Dem, yeah, he's a handful sometimes but I would hardly call him a menace. He's more of a... a nuisance than a menace."

Munkustrap sighed heavily and rested his forehead in his left hand, it was the same argument again and it would most likely end the same way it always would end. They would bicker back and forth for a while, voices would raise and tempers would flare, then before the night was over the tabby would concede and apologize to his mate for the exchange of harsh words. The tom looked up at his mate, the gold, black and red queen looked as frustrated as he felt at the moment. He took a deep breath and released it slowly, he geared himself for round two of their verbal boxing match.

"So Dem, what is it that you want me to do?" Munkustrap's ears fell to the sides of his head, he knew he was walking right into a fire pit with a gasoline soaked coat.

"What do I want you to do?" Demeter put her hands on her hips, her tail lashed angrily behind her. "Munk, I want you to be a tom and control your brother!"

The tabby's golden eyes narrowed slightly, " And how do you suppose I go about doing that? He's Tugger, he's going to do what he wants, when he wants, no matter what."

"I don't know Munk! _You're _the junkyard leader here, _you _figure it out!" The queen's ears went back against her head.

Munkustrap's jaw clenched, his hand went up to twist with the gold tag hanging from the ring on his collar. The overturned wicker basket that served as his chair creaked as he shifted uncomfortably, they were nearing the climax of their fight, it would be a downhill slope for him from here on.

"Oh, so your mad at _me _now." Demeter's hands left her hips and her arms folded across her white furred chest, she gave her mate a look of angry disbelief.

"What makes you think I'm mad at you?" the tabby tom's reply was a little more snippy than he would have liked, and it certainly didn't help the situation.

"Because you always fiddle with your tag like that when your mad at me!"

Munkustrap's hand dropped down into his lap, his tag continued to sway slightly, he frowned and cast his gaze downward.

Demeter pulled over another wicker basket and sat beside her mate, she sighed and put a hand on his arm. "Look Munk, I know you care about your brother but he shouldn't be exempt from the rules, and you need to stop making excuses for him."

"Honestly Dem, I don't think he's that much of a problem, he isn't really hurting anyone."

The queen pulled her hand back abruptly, "Not hurting anyone? What about your ankle? You could have never been able to dance again."

"That was an accident, he hadn't meant to hurt me, and it healed fine" Munkustrap smiled weakly and looked up at his mate, she wasn't amused. "He even apologized...you know, in his own way."

"And what about the way he struts around the junkyard with his tail held high like he owns the place? He's a bad influence on the kittens with the way he _dances_." Demeter visibly shuddered.

"The kittens aren't such kittens anymore Dem, by next year's Jellicle ball most if not all of them will have mates. And you've seen that tail of his, he has to hold it that way otherwise he'd spend all day picking garbage out of it. I tried to get him to trim it but..."

"What about Bombaluria?"

"What about Bombaluria?" Munkustrap eyed his mate questioningly, this argument was taking a direction it had never gone in before.

"The way he treats her, it's disgusting, and you say he's not hurting anyone? Have you seen how depressed she looks sometimes? The way she looks him when he's looking at other queens? Munk, she cries at night because of him!" The queen's fists were clenched, her breathing was rapid and her tail was lashing angrily

"I know Dem, believe me, I know, but they're both mature ad...Bombalurina is a mature adult. If she wants to keep chasing after Tugger despite how he behaves then there's nothing I can do about that. You can't take it out on Tugger because you want to protect your sister."

"And you can't take it out on everyone else just because you feel guilty about something that happened twenty-five years ago!" Demeter stood up, her countenance radiating an air of fury.

She looked as if she were going to strike and Munkustrap recoiled anticipating the blow, instead the queen turned and left the den.

The tabby released a sigh of relief. The fight was over, at least for now, but he knew the queen was right. As much as he wanted to sit Tugger down and give him an ultimatum he couldn't find it in himself to do so, not after how he had behaved towards the Maine Coon years ago.

* * *

_A/N: My first Multi-chaptered story, this one wasn't meant to be more than one chapter but there's a flashback that's pretty long so I decided to break it up. Comments and critiques are welcome and as always if you really liked this one I'm open to suggestions and ideas for other projects. Or you can visit my profile and comment on which future story I should do next!_

_Some notes pertaining to the story. Some of the Jellicles have collars, in the Junkyard they are somewhat of a fashion statement, however only mates who have undergone the matehood ceremony have tags. They're like wedding rings and can be metal, etched glass, stitched leather, or even carved wood._

_Jellicle cats develop slowly in a way somewhat similar to the development of humans. The only notable exception is they have their awkward 'teen' years between the ages of 18-21._

_And Munkustrap and Demeter love each other very much although it doesn't seem like it. _

_Look out for chapter 2 soon!_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this bit of fanfiction nor do I receive any sort of monetary value from writing this. Cats belongs to both the wonderful T.S. Eliot and the amazing Andrew Lloyd Webber in conjunction with the Really Useful Group.

_A/N: Hey there Jolly Jellicles! Chapter 2 has arrived! And it's a flashback!_

_Enjoy the ride!_

* * *

He had been a kitten at the time, not much older than 6 or 7, and he remembered the day had been rather cool despite it being the last day of July. Little did he know it would also be the last day he would see his father smile for many years, and the last day his mother would wake up. The sun had just began to peek over the horizon when he was awoken by Jennyanydots and was ushered from his den to hers.

The tabby kitten spent the day with the striped and spotted queen learning to cook, and various other skills and crafts, overall it had been an unusual yet fun day for the kitten. It was a few hours after nightfall when Deuteronomy had finally come for his son, the excited kitten ran up to the large cat and began showing him all the things he had made that day. However, to Munkustrap's surprise the large cat hadn't been as excited as he was, instead he sunk down into a nearby seat and pulled the kitten into his lap.

Deutoronomy stroked his son between his ears and down his back, the tabby kitten purred appreciatively.

"Munkustrap, you know your mother was having another kitten."

"Yes I know daddy, in her tummy right?" Munkustrap rubbed his stomach and smiled up at his father, his smile faltered when the tom didn't smile back.

"Yes little one, in her tummy...the kitten came out today an-"

"It did? Is it a brother or a sister? What does it look like? What's it's name? Is it really teeny-tiny like I was when I was born daddy? Right daddy? 'Cause mommy said I was real tiny and momm-.."

Deuteronomy placed his hand on the kitten's head effectively silencing him. He chuckled feebly at his son's enthusiasm.

"Easy now little one, you'll see the kitten soon enough. You have a brother, his name is Rum Tum Tugger."

"Just like grandpa!" Munkustrap smiled, he had only met his grandpa once before the everlasting cat had taken him and he had been to young to remember him at the time. However, the tabby had heard many exciting stories about him from his mother and hoped that his brand new brother would grow up to be just like him.

"Yes, just like grandpa." Deuteronomy closed his eyes and sighed heavily, when he opened them Munkustrap noticed tears had formed in his father's eyes. His father never cried unless something was really wrong.

"What's wrong Daddy?" the tabby kitten's ears flattened against his head and his eyebrows came together.

His father spoke softly in a voice lined with sadness, his words were shaking with impeding tears.

"Little one, having a kitten is very very hard work for a mommy, a-and mommy was already very very sick...and..." Deuteronomy sniffled, a few tears rolled down his cheek and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. "...and it was mommy's time to go to the Heaviside Layer to be with your grandpa."

The kitten's gold eyes widened and he shook his head, "No, you're lying! Its not time for the Jellicle ball! Only old cats go to the Heaviside Layer! Mommy wasn't old! Mommy wasn't old!"

The large tom pulled his son into an embrace letting his tears flow freely, "I know little one, but sometimes the Everlasting Cat takes those who are ill and suffering so they don't hurt anymore."

The two cats embraced for a while in silence and when the tom's tears had ebbed he released the kitten.

"Would you like to go see your brother now?"

"NO."

* * *

Three long days had come and gone before Munkustrap saw his brother for the first time, the tabby kitten had been wandering around the den aimlessly when he had heard the soft gurgling of the baby. He had vowed to never see the kitten but curiosity had gotten the best of him and he quietly tiptoed towards him. The newborn kitten was lying in a discarded shoebox lined with old blankets and newspapers, Munkustrap leaned down so he could inspect the kitten closer.

His body was mostly black with patches of yellow and leopard spots around his ankles, wrists, and on his chest. His round face had the same yellow hue as well as various brown, black, and white markings, and across his forehead lay a single curled lock of black headfur. . The beginnings of a mane and his tail reflected those colors as well. The kitten's eyes were still shut and Munkustrap wondered if when they opened if they would be the same color as his mommy's eyes or his daddy's eyes.

"What do you think of your brother little one?"

Munkustrap jumped slightly, he had been so preoccupied he hadn't heard his father come into the room.

"Cute isn't he? He's just as tiny as you were when you were a little kitten."

"No, he's stupid and I hate him, I wish he was never borned" the tabby kitten rose from the floor and walked past his father and out of the den. His ears drooped and his shoulders sagged, he had seen the disappointment and sadness in his father's eyes and it made him feel terrible. But he had been taught never to lie and so he had spoken the truth about his feelings towards the tiny kitten. Way back before the kitten had arrived he remembered his mother saying that having a new kitten around meant there would be lots of changes, and at only three days old this one had turned his entire world completely upside down.

Summer ended and before anyone had realized a year and a half had passed. The mood in the junkyard had been somber after Deuteronomy's mate had passed but things were beginning to brighten up and most of the Jellicles were once again living happily.

Munkustrap sat perched on a garbage can outside of the den, his knees were drawn to his chest and he looked down on the various cats that came and went. He had been shooed from the den as punishment for being naughty, Tugger had began toddling a few months back and would wander around the den with his favorite toy in his tiny hands. Nothing delighted the silver tabby more than putting the old ragdoll up on a high shelf where the kitten couldn't reach it and listening to his wail of anguish, he would smirk to himself knowing that he too knew the pain of losing something that he cherished and loved.

Usually the tabby kitten would terrorize the young Maine Coon and then disappear to the next room before anyone noticed, he had been sloppy this time and had gotten caught. Needless to say neither his father nor Jellylorum, who would come by during the day to look after and nurse Tugger, were very amused and had told him to leave and not come back until he was ready to apologize. Munkustrap snorted and slid off of the can, if he had to apologize to come back home he supposed he'd have to find a new den to live in. There was no way he would say sorry to that kitten, not after what he had done to him. The kitten's ears perked up, perhaps Jenny would allow him to stay with her, of all the adults that came by the den she was the only one that paid attention to him and not just the new kitten. Munkustrap smiled and headed towards the queen's den.

When he arrived at Jenny's home he was greeted with a hug and a warm saucer of milk, he accepted both eagerly and greedily slurped down the warm treat.

"What brings you here today Munku? Eager to learn some more sewing?" the queen chuckled softly and took the empty dish from the kitten.

Munkustrap shook his head, he hated sewing, the needle always pricked his fingers and he always managed to get his tail knotted up in the threads.

"Jenny, can I live here with you? Pretty please with tuna on top?" The kitten put his hands together and smiled the sweetest smile he could muster.

The queen was slightly taken by surprise at his question, she leaned down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry little one but I just don't have time or room for a kitten right now."

The tabby kitten frowned and looked down at his feet, his tail rested between his legs. He was pulled into another hug and he laid his head on the queen's bust.

"Don't be sad Munku, why would you want to come live with a boring old queen like me when you have a perfectly fine den with your father and a little brother to play with?"

Munkustrap pulled back from the queen and flatten his ears against his head.

"He's not my brother! And Daddy and Jellylorum said I can't come back home until I apologize for taking his toy! And I won't apologize to him! I won't! And you or Jellylorum, or even Daddy can't make me!"

The tabby kitten was visibly angry but his mood was calmed a bit when he heard Jenny's soft words.

"Now why would yo do a thing like that Munku? He's just a little kitten and you've always been a very good boy."

"He took something from me first! If he were never born then Mommy would still be here..." the kitten's voice trailed off, he looked back down at his feet but soon found himself hoisted onto Jenny's lap. He looked at the queen quizzically.

"Munkustrap, I know you miss your mother very much, and you will for a long long time, probably even forever. But I promise you, things will get better soon and it won't hurt so much anymore" She rubbed the kits back in circles, he leaned into her touch.

"But you can't blame anyone for what happened, and just think, you had seven wonderful years with your mommy and even though it wasn't enough Tugger will never have that. He'll never know what his mother's voice sounded like, or what her fur smelled like, or what it felt like to be held in her arms. As his big brother it's your responsibility to make sure he knows all those things. Understand?"

Munkustrap looked down at his hands and his ears drooped to the sides of his head, after a short bit of silence he slowly nodded.

"I've been a very naughty kitten Jenny, I think Mommy would be very sad if she were here."

"It's okay little one, I know Mommy, and your father and Tugger will all forgive you, now run along back home before it gets dark." The queen placed a kiss on the kitten's forehead and ushered him out of her den.

When the kitten arrived back at the den all was quiet, he had intended on finding his father and Jellylorum and apologizing but ran into the tiniest member of the family first.

The kitten toddled towards him only falling once before he had traveled the short distance. The tiny Maine Coon clung to Munkustrap's leg and nuzzled the silver striped fur then looked up at his older brother and gurgled a single word.

"Munnusap!"

In the 18 months since Tugger had come into the world Munkustrap hadn't heard him speak a single word,he also hadn't realized that the tiny kitten's eyes were the same shade of warm amber that had once belonged to his mother. But then again the older tabby had taken to trying to avoid him at all cost refusing to hold or even be in the same room as him for more than a couple minutes.

Looking at Tugger now he could hardly believe that he had treated the helpless kitten so badly or that he had harbored such ill feelings towards him. The tabby kitten slid down and scooped his younger brother into his arms, the younger kitten cooed and grabbed fistfuls of silver fur. Munkustrap planted his face in the soft black, brown, and orange curls of his headfur, everything that he had been holding in since his mother's death came rushing out.

And he cried.

* * *

_A/N: Poor little angsty Munkustrap, and tiny Tugger toddler. I feel the ending of this chapter was a bit cliché but what can you do. Chapter 3 may take a bit more time as the end of this fic wasn't supposed to be a separate chapter, however, since the flash back is kinda lengthy I wanted to make it separate. Now I need to come up with more content for the next chapter._

_Comments and critiques are welcome and as always if you really liked this one I'm open to suggestions and ideas for other projects. Or you can visit my profile and comment on which future story I should do next!_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters in this bit of fanfiction nor do I receive any sort of monetary value from writing this. Cats belongs to both the wonderful T.S. Eliot and the amazing Andrew Lloyd Webber in conjunction with the Really Useful Group.

_A/N: Yo you killer kitties! Another installment of TTW for you guys! By a suggestion of a reader there will be some Dem/Bomba interaction! And maybe even some Munku/Tugger chattage. No promises though since I don't even know where the story's going at this point :D._

_Have a nice flight!  
_

* * *

Night had fallen heavily when Bombalurina heard a knock on her den door, she sat up quickly and hid the book she had been reading underneath a pile of blankets. Good books were always hard to come by in the junkyard and she was in the middle of a real page turner about a pollicle that had been sold to a sled team in order to pay off a gambling debt. The red queen had always loved to read but never revealed that to anyone, she had made the mistake of taking out a book when Tugger had been around and she was mocked mercilessly for it. She wouldn't be making that mistake again.

"Come in!"

She smoothed down her fur and sat up straight making her breast stick out just a bit more, her right leg came to rest over her left and she waited for the tom to make his appearance.

She had hoped it was the large Maine Coon, but instead the much smaller form of her sister came into view. Bombalurina sighed and her shoulders slumped.

"Oh, hey Dem, I thought you were Tugger."

Demeter snarled at the mention of the maned tom and took a seat next to her sister crossing her arms over her white-furred chest.

The older queen looked at her sister, it was abundantly clear that she had recently had another argument with her mate, Bombalurina loved her sister dearly, she truly did, but she didn't want to have to deal with this right now. But, just as a loving sister should, she put her arm around the smaller queen's shoulders and pulled her closer.

"You and Munk had another fight?"

"Yes, that tom just refuses to be reasonable!"

"What was this night's argument about?"

"Tu-...mblebrutus, that kitten is completely unruly and needs a good talking too, but Munkustrap doesn't agree."

Bombalurina knew the younger queen was lying but she didn't press it, instead she motioned for her younger sister to continue.

"He says that he sees nothing wrong with the way he behaves and that I should just drop the subject and stop trying to protect you-or friend Victoria." the smaller queen's shoulders dropped and she sighed.

"Bomba, I just want what's best for everybody, and I want everyone to be happy."

"I know Dem, but perhaps what you want isn't best for everyone. I know you think you're helping but perhaps _'Victoria' _knows what she's doing and has everything under control."

"So you're siding with Munkustrap?" Demeter scooted away from Bombalurina's touch then turned away from the red queen.

"No Dem, I'm not siding with anyone. I'm happy that I have a sister that would risk her own relationship to look out for me, but not everyone is the settle down, have kittens type of cat. I know you don't like it, and I'm not saying you have to, but what me and Tugger have may not be ideal but it works for us."

Silence fell heavily between the sisters, Bombalurina sighed and moved closer to Demeter. She leaned over and lightly rubbed the smaller queen's cheek with the top of her head.

Demeter smiled gently at first and returned the gesture, her smile soon faltered and she sighed heavily.

"I just don't understand you sometimes Bomba, you're so beautiful, and intelligent, and a great singer and dancer. You could do so much better, like Alonzo, or Coricopat, but instead you choose that, that twit!" Demeter threw her hands up in frustration.

The red queen chuckled and curled her tail around her sister's, "Alonzo has a thing for Cassandra, and I doubt Tantomile would let me anywhere near Coricopat. That queen is fiercely protective of her sibling just like another queen I know." Bombalurina pulled Demeter into a sideways hug and put her chin on the queen's shoulder.

"I'm not fiercely protective, I just want to see my big sister happy."

"I am happy Dem, and we're still young. Just give him time, he'll come around, then he'll be a regular Munkustrap."

"Okay Bomba, if you say so, but I doubt he'll be a Munkustrap. Maybe a Skimbleshanks, but definitely not a Munkustrap."

The two queens laughed then silence fell over the two once again. Although Demeter had somewhat agreed with her Bombalurina knew that the conversation was far from over and this silence was merely an intermission. There were only two ways to completely resolve the issue, either Tugger would commit solely to her, or she would have to abandon all hopes of being with the Maine Coon. With the way things were going right now neither option would be happening anytime soon, which was fine with the young queen, she could wait.

Bombalurina yawned and rubbed her eyes, it was getting late and she was done discussing the matter. She looked up at her sister, the black and gold queen was more relaxed than when she had first come. The red queen released her younger sister and stretched, Demeter followed suit.

"It's getting pretty late Dem, perhaps you should go home before Munk starts to worry."

"No, he knows I'm here, and he could probably use a break from me tonight. I said a few things I probably shouldn't have said, can I stay here tonight?" Demeter looked at her older sister with wide eyes.

"Oh alright, only if you promise to let me sleep this time." Bombalurina stood up and began to rearrange the blankets that made up her bed, she balled one up and threw it at Demeter.

The younger queen squeaked in surprise when the blanket made contact but snapped back to awareness and dodged the two blankets that followed. She formed them into some resemblance of her bed in her own den then settled in the center of the structure.

"Dem?"

"Yes Bomba?"

"How come you never complain about Tugger to Jemima?"

"Because you remember what it's like to be her age, things go in one ear and out the other. Besides,..."Demeter propped herself up on one arm and looked at the other queen in the adjacent bed of blankets. "Tugger is thick-headed but he's not completely brain dead, he knows if he laid one non-platonic claw on Jemima or any of the kittens I'd tie his tail to a rock and drown him in the pond."

Bombalurina shuddered, she knew firsthand what it was like to nearly drown in that pond. "Isn't that a bit harsh? He's not like that, he knows his boundaries."

"Good." Demeter laid back down amongst the blankets, "Then neither of you have anything to worry about then."

It was quiet few for a few moments before the red queen broke the silence again.

"Dem?...Dem?"

"I thought you wanted to sleep tonight."

"I just wanted to say I love you, there's no need to be snippy about it."

"...I love you too Bomba."

Silence.

"Dem?"

"Good night Bombalurina."

* * *

Munkustrap shielded his eyes from the rising sun, it was dawn and he hadn't slept a single wink the night before. His mind was still abuzz with the remnants of the argument with Demeter and he had spent the night tossing and turning in his bed. He had lain awake for what had seemed like an eternity before leaving the den and relieving Alonzo of his night watch duties, if he couldn't sleep he figured that he'd be useful.

The white and black patched cat had wary at first and had sat with the silver tabby, after an hour of forced small talk Alonzo thanked him and scurried off to his own den. Munkustrap sat in silence upon the trash can near the entrance of the junkyard and watched as the darkness receded and melded into a medley of oranges, pinks, and purples.

A scraping sound caused the tabby to perk up his ears, a clang had him on his feet, arms raised, claws extended, and ready to attack. The fur along his spine and tail bristled and all exhaustion left his body, he leaped off of the can and stalked silently towards the direction the sound had come from. Another clang rang throughout the Junkyard slightly louder than the first and Munkustrap hurried towards it, he had nearly found the source of the noise but stopped in front of a cardboard box when he heard two familiar voices on the other side.

"Bast Tugger! Can you be any louder?"

"Well..."

"Shut it and sit still before you get yourself even more tangled."

Munkustrap relaxed and walked around the cardboard box, he cleared his throat loudly and caught the attention of the two cats.

"Ah Munkus, fancy meeting you here." the Maine Coon smirked.

Munkustrap frowned, "I should say the same. Getting an early start on your muddling I see."The older Jellicle motioned towards Mistoffelees. "And don't call me that."

Mistoffelees was busy freeing Tugger of the source of the clanging, somewhere in the junkyard he had come across two old rusted soup cans connected by a length of blue wire. The wire part had gotten knotted up in the longer fur of his bushy tail and the cans themselves had collected a bevy of small stones.

Munkustrap crouched down beside the tux tom and began to untangle knots as well, "What are you even doing up this early? I haven't seen you rise before noon since you were twelve, what happened to that whole spiel about beauty sleep?"

"I don't need beauty sleep, I'm gorgeous enough. I simply choose to make my appearance when the light is most complimentary to my physique." Tugger reclined and began to preen his mane. "Noon is usually adequate enough."

Both Munkustrap and Mistoffelees rolled their eyes and continued the task at hand. Within minutes nearly all of the tangles were removed save for a couple of tiny knots that had gotten wound around small tufts of fur. The silver tabby had tried to unwind them with no avail, even the black and white tom's smaller fingers hadn't been able to decipher the knots.

Silver black-striped fingers gripped the small blue wiry bundle, the oldest tom bit his lip and pulled.

Tugger yelped and pulled his tail to his chest."Everlasting Munk! That hurt!"

"I know it did, if somebody trimmed their fur like I suggested this wouldn't be a problem. Now quit being a kitten and give it here, there's only one left."

"No!" the Maine Coon scooted away from the Junkyard leader still clutching his tail protectively. He flattened his ears and gave Mistoffelees a desperate look. "Can't you just magic it off?"

The tux tom shrugged, "I can try, but you'd probably lose more fur than if Munk just pulled it out."

"Then I guess we'll just have to leav-.." Tugger shrieked and clutched his tail tighter.

Munkustrap smirked and held up the blue string mottled with orangey-brown strands of the Maine Coon's fur, "There, that wasn't so bad was it?" The silver tabby ignored his brother's piercing glare and stood up brushing the dust from his pelt.

Mistoffelees tried to stifle his laughter, Tugger growled at the young tom and licked at his tail.

The oldest tom emptied the cans and placed them behind a pile of trash where he believed no cat would tread, "Let that be a lesson to stay out of trouble."

The maned cat stopped licking and looked up at his brother raising an eyebrow, "Why is it that you assume that we're up to no good?"

"You, I assume you're up to no good, considering the fact that it's the crack of dawn and you're already creating a commotion. I'm assuming Mistoffelees is here to make sure whatever you're planning doesn't get out of hand?" Munkustrap crossed his arms over his silver chest and frowned at them disappointingly.

"Actually Munk." Mistoffelees stood and dusted himself off, "This...erm, excursion, was actually my idea. We're just going for a short walk outside of the junkyard."

Tugger stood and took residence beside the black and white tom, he wrapped his arm around the small tom's waist and pulled him closer.

The tux's ears turned bright red and he looked up at the larger tom.

"See Munkus? No trouble making here, Mistoffelees said so himself. Just a trouble-free outing to the muddle-less pond and then a trip to the field without any strife or dilemma. Right kit?" Tugger nuzzled the tom's ear.

Mistoffelees gave a stiff nod in agreement.

The junkyard leader studied their faces, he drew in a long breath then released it slowly letting his arms drop back down to his sides. He covered his face with his palm and rubbed circles on his eyes, the lack of sleep and the ebbing of the earlier adrenaline rush was beginning to take a toll on him.

"I know you two are planning something, but against my better judgment I'll let it go for now. Just go and try not to get into too much trouble, make sure to be back before sundown."

Munkustrap waved them off and walked off towards his den, most of the Jellicles would be awake soon and he hoped to try to get a bit of sleep before having to deal with the tribe's daily issues. He had walked only a short ways away when he was stopped by a black and gold queen.

The Jellicle protector cleared his throat nervously unsure of whether or not his mate was still mad about their disagreement the night before.

"Good morning Dem, how was your night?"

"It was good, restful even." Demeter leaned to the side and looked past Munkustrap. "Where are those two going?" the gold and black queen frowned and crossed her arms.

"Just to the field."

"What for?"

Munkustrap shrugged, "I don't know, but don't worry, I doubt Mistoffelees will let anything _too_ bad happen." The silver tabby smiled sheepishly.

Awkward silence fell between the two cats. Munkustrap squinted as he looked at his mate, the sun created a veil around her and was nearly completely over the horizon.

The Jellicle protector sighed heavily, there would be no way he'd be getting the nap he had wanted now. He looked around and found an empty paint can, he pulled it over and motioned for Demeter to sit. He then took a seat on the ground beside her.

His mate looked at him quizzically, Munkustrap returned her gaze.

"So..." the two cats spoke in unison then chuckled.

"Um, you first..." the gold queen pricked up her ears.

The tom drew in a deep breath and released it slowly, "I don't want us to fight anymore. It just seems like we just work and argue, and sometimes I worry that one of us will say something we shouldn't and everything we've had and worked for all these years will be over."

"And you think I like that we argue?" Demeter crossed her arms and sighed. "I know that he's your little brother but I wish you would take my side sometimes."

"I do take your side, all of your concerns are true and valid, it's just that..." Munkustrap leaned over and rested his head against the queen's hip, he sighed and looked out into the horizon. "It's just that I'm afraid of losing what little semblance of a relationship me and Tugger have. You know things between us have been strained ever since I chose Alonzo over him to be second in command, and he doesn't handle blame or responsibility well...Mom's gone,...Father rarely comes around anymore, I can't lose him as well."

Demeter gently stroked his head fur, "I know Munk, but you're not doing him any favors by bending the rules for him. He's an adult now and he needs to act like it, he may not like it at first, but he'll thank you some day."

"Tugger being thankful? Ha, that's right up there next to Skimble missing a train." Munkustrap chuckled softly and leaned into Demeter's touch. "But you're right, I'll try to get through to him but I can't make any promises."

"Thanks , I know this will be hard for you, it means a lot to me that you're trying." The gold and black queen kissed the top of her mate's head.

The silver tabby caught her face between his hands and brought her down for a chaste kiss before releasing her.

Demeter leaned over for another kiss but lost her balance of the paint can and fell over on top of the black-striped tom, the couple lay sprawled on the ground for a moment and the queen pushed herself up onto her hands and knees.

The two cats locked eyes and they began to laugh, it started it a snicker, then evolved into a full blown guffaw.

Munkustrap wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and pulled his mate into a tight embrace. It wasn't going to be easy or pleasant trying to curb Tugger's behavior, but it meant being able to see his mate laugh and smile it would be worth it.

* * *

_A/N: I wanted to get this out before tomorrow so the ending is terrible. Just one more stop after this until the end of the Northern Express. Next chapter will probably be pretty short. I'm having surgery tomorrow morning so I'm not quite sure when it's gonna be posted though._

_**Edit**_**: **_I write my author's notes before I even begin writing, why? I'm not entirely sure why but that's me for you. I actually began writing this over a month ago, lost my direction and momentum and haven't opened it until now. I really don't like the writing in this one or my previous two (the drabbles are fine), and I don't like the pacing but I didn't want to rewrite this chapter because then it wouldn't fit with the other chapters. Following stories will have a slightly different feel. That is all. _

_Comments and critiques are welcome and as always and stated above if you really liked this one I'm open to suggestions and ideas for other projects. Or you can visit my profile and comment on which future story I should do next!_


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